Page 37 of The Bodyguard

“It’s my job.”

“Yeah. Of course it is.” She lets out another exasperated sigh as she walks back towards me. “I’m so tired of having you here, Bodie.”

“The feeling’s mutual.”

She reaches out and presses her hand against my chest again, over my heart, which, to my dismay, has started beating harder and faster than I want it to. But that’s something I can’t control.

“No.” She shakes her head and smiles, her mouth once more moving closer to mine, and again that fresh citrus scent fills my head. “I don’t think it is. I don’t think you mean that.”

I wrap my fingers around her wrist and gently pull her hand away from me. “You need to get some rest. It’s been a long night.”

She takes a breath, a deep, heavy one, and wrenches her arm free of my grip, but she doesn’t move. Doesn’t make any attempt to back off.

“You should go.” My voice is barely a whisper, I just need her to leave the room now, I really do.

“Is that what you want?”

I can’t shift my gaze from hers, can’t unlock that stare, and I should. I’m the one with the clear head, she has an excuse. I don’t.

“It’s what I want.”

The corner of her mouth inches upwards, just a little, and her eyes now carry a sparkle in them that’s making my stomach jump and my heart continue to beat hard and fast, but I’m still in control here. Just.

“I think you’re lying.”

She’s pushing me, and I’m letting her. But she’s standing there, in front of me, all fresh-faced and naked underneath that robe, I’m guessing. Hoping…?

Jesus!

“You need to go, Lena.”

“Okay.” She lets her gaze linger on mine a moment or two longer, and then she turns and starts to walk away. And I watch her go, and I should let her leave, I should. It’s what I’ve been telling her to do, but when she stops, turns around and comes back towards me I do nothing except reach behind me and tightly grasp the counter’s edge, I’m fucking stronger than this, comeon!

“I should probably tell you something.” She’s up in my space again, and I’m not doing anything about it. I can’t. It’s like I’ve suddenly been rendered stationery, my ability to do anything but stand here and let this happen has all but disappeared, and I know that’s nothing more than an excuse. One big, fucking excuse.

I swallow hard, my fingers tightening their grip on the marble countertop. “Tell me what?”

She smiles again, and her eyes are bright and alive and showing no signs that she’s had far too much to drink, and that’s why I should do something. Anything. But instead, I just stand there as she leans into me, her mouth resting against the side of my neck as she murmurs, “You did look super-hot tonight.”

And that’s when I let go of the countertop, place my hand against the base of her spine as she turns her head, her mouth catching mine in a kiss so very different to the ones we’ve occasionally indulged in for the sake of our fake relationship. Very different, because this time no-one is watching.

She presses her body against mine, and even though every warning signal in my head is screaming at me to push her away, leave this the hell alone, what the fuck am I doing? I do nothing but press her closer against me, kiss her deeper, longer, harder as she scrambles to undo her robe. And, for some reason, that’s when the fog lifts. It’s like a shutter has suddenly been flung open, and I grab her hand. Stop her from untying that robe.

“Don’t.”

She looks a little hurt, but it’s a look that’s fleeting, to be replaced with one that’s more akin to anger.

“We can’t do this, Lena.”

She just shakes her head, backs away, and I’m both relieved and disappointed: frustrated that I let it get this far. My fault. I should’ve known better, Ido, know better.

She leaves without saying another word, and I hear her run upstairs just as the sound of voices in the hallway and the front door closing tell me we got lucky. Dodged a fucking bullet. Her parents are back, and I breathe the biggest sigh of relief. I can escape now, for a handful of Lena-free hours before I have to get up and start all over again. But I have a job to do. Lena’s part of that job. She can’t be the reason I fail, too much depends on it. Lives could depend on it. And I can’t guarantee that, ultimately, somebody isn’t going to lose theirs…

Ten

Lena

Light streams into my room through a crack in the curtains, because I couldn’t be arsed to close them properly last night. I was too tired. Too drunk. Too… Oh, shit, add embarrassed to that list.

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